Broken Promise
by Ravensnake
Summary: It's been ten years since they escaped Raccoon City, since Claire left to search for Chris and Leon was forced to hand Sherry over to the government. Now, after years of being a government agent, Leon contacts Claire with surprising news: he finally knows where Sherry is. The catch? She's been kidnapped, and the U.S. Government wants them to retrieve her. - T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers! This is me, taking a stab at another fandom. I've been meaning to write this one for a while, so hopefully I'm able to see it through. I know it's not Harry Potter, and that's odd of me, but we'll see how it goes. I've been devoted to the Resident Evil series much longer than HP, and the last few games have been a little disappointing (plot-wise), so this is my attempt to tie up a very, very loose end left between RE2 and RE6: Claire and Sherry's reunion.**

**I hope you like it! Enjoy :)**

**P.S. - A lot of this first chapter is a bit of retelling of previous events, for the sake of setting the mood.**

_**Disclaimer: Resident Evil doesn't belong to me. Everything that seems familiar belongs to Capcom, anything new is a product of my fangirl mind.**_

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**A Promise**

Sitting in the motel room, in the peace of the early morning, it was difficult to believe what we'd just been through. Sherry lay fast asleep, and I wish I could copy her, if only to rest my head. Worry for my brother swam in my thoughts, and I couldn't help but think of him. If what we'd just faced was anything like what he'd discovered at the Spencer Estate, I didn't want to think of what he could be facing in Europe. Leaning against the window, I tried to fight the thoughts away. I needed to stay with Sherry, with Leon…

I felt him before I heard him. He came up behind me and took up the spot on the other side of the window. We both stared at the open sky, but he soon turned to watch me instead. He leaned against the glass, and I made a conscious effort to look away from him.

"Claire…" I didn't want to hear it. He and Sherry needed medical attention. I couldn't leave them. "You have to go. Leave us. I'll take care of her."

"I can't just go, Leon…"

"Yes you can. You have to." He pushed himself from the window and grabbed my shoulder, turning me to face him. His ice gray eyes no longer had the innocence of the rookie cop I'd seen outside the diner. "We'll be fine. You still have to find your brother…" I looked over at Sherry, who was still sleeping. Only hours before, she'd been hanging between life and death, her father's infection brewing inside her.

"What about Sherry?" My voice was hardly a whisper.

"She'll be fine." The more he worked to convince me, the stronger my need to leave became. I was restless to run out the door and not look back. His hand still hadn't left my shoulder, and it felt like that was the only thing keeping me rooted. When he did move it, it was to move my face to look at him again. "We'll be fine, Claire. Go. You know you want to." He offered me a small smile, and I couldn't help but throw my arms around him. He returned the embrace. In the short hours we'd cooperated to escape the city, we'd grown close. Even if I never saw him again after this, he would always be one of the most important people in my life.

With my head resting on his shoulder, I caught sight of the bandages. Ada Wong…She'd spent even more time with him than I had. I could only imagine how close they'd become. When I met up with Leon on the train, I'd seen traces of tears. I didn't understand until he told me she was dead. I pulled away, not wanting to think what it would have been like if my partner in this escape had died.

"Claire, Leon?" Sherry had awoken, and watched as we stepped back from each other. She looked from Leon to me, reading our faces. She was extremely mature for her age, and I knew she'd figured out what was happening. I walked over to the bed, sitting on it to be eye level with her.

"Sherry, honey…I…I have to go. I need to find my brother. Leon will take care of you." I hardly finished my explanation when she threw her arms around my neck.

"But…" She was crying, unable to even let out her argument.

"I'm sorry. I'll come back. " She pulled back and I cupped her cheek, brushing her tears away. I smiled at her.

"Promise?" Her eyes were hopeful, something I hadn't seen in the entire escape. They'd always seemed aged, jaded.

"I promise." She smiled back, albeit faintly. Lying back down, she closed her eyes, as if to fight the nightmares. I kissed her forehead before standing to leave. I grabbed what little belongings I had left and made for the door. Leon followed.

Outside the motel room, we stood in silence. How could I say good-bye? He placed his hand on my shoulder again, pulling me to him and placing a kiss to my forehead, much like I'd done to Sherry. "Go."

Before I could doubt my decision, I left, not once looking back.

**Bad News**

It had hardly been two days since my return from Antarctica. Losing Steve was still fresh in my heart, and I imagined it was something like what Leon had felt when he lost Ada. I didn't want to think about it, but I couldn't help it. Somehow, all thoughts led to Leon. We'd hardly kept in touch in the past three months, since I'd spent the better part of my time searching for Chris. When we returned to his hideout, I was shocked to see Leon was waiting for us.

"Long time no see, Claire." My heart jumped, and I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face. Without realizing what I was doing, I'd thrown my arms around his neck. I'd be able to make good on my promise to Sherry. At the thought of her, I noticed she wasn't with him.

"Leon, where's Sherry?" My smile faded as he looked away, and I let my arms fall. Chris stepped out of the room to give us a moment, but Leon still wouldn't respond. "Leon…what happened to her?"

"Sherry is…safe." His answer was too vague for my liking, and I felt my temper flare. He still wouldn't look at me.

"Kennedy, where is she?" I'd never referred to him by his last name, but I couldn't bring myself to be friendly when he was keeping something from me.

"That's why I'm here…to tell you that I'm no longer taking care of her." He finally looked at me again, hands tucked in his pockets. It wasn't until now that I saw how hardened his eyes were. Not only that, but it only now struck me that he wasn't in his RPD uniform, but in a leather jacket with a black shirt underneath and jeans. This shouldn't have seemed strange to me, but it did.

"Why?!" I swore I could see him wince at my tone.

"Shortly after you left, the government approached me, offering me a job. They were…impressed by my survival. They asked me to hand over Sherry, for her own protection, because she knows too much." Looking him in the eyes was difficult, the once warm stare having turned cold.

"And you let her go, just like that?" For the first time, I saw a flash of anger in his eyes.

"It's not like it was an easy decision, Claire! I couldn't protect her forever. What if Umbrella wanted to take her? She's safer now."

"You don't even know where she is!" My anger wasn't entirely towards him, and I think a part of him knew that. Of course, I was upset he'd given her up, but I was angrier at myself for not being there for her, and now I'd lost her forever. I promised her I'd come back…

"Claire." I looked up at him, feeling the familiar hand on my shoulder again. "I'll find her. For now, we just need to concentrate on taking Umbrella down. Once the threat is gone, she'll be able to lead a normal life. We all will." I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes at the thought that we would never lead normal lives. I was only nineteen. Where had my life gone, that it now revolved around Umbrella? And poor Sherry, at only twelve years old, having to deal with evil corporations and biological weapons.

Leon brought me into an embrace, something I realized I missed, even though he'd only ever hugged me once before. When Chris came back into the room, it was to tell Leon there were men in suits outside, waiting for him. He pulled back, the corner of his mouth tilting slightly, in a half smile.

"I won't be around as much as I'd like…but I'll be in touch." I could only nod. I didn't see him again until seven years later.

**Harvardville**

The Raccoon City survivor in me surged to the surface at the sound of the scream outside. I could hear gunshots in the distance, and my need to help survivors took over. I almost didn't leave, however, at the sound of Rani's pleas.

"No, Claire! Don't go!" My heart broke at the way she spoke of her parents, how neither of them had come back. I didn't know the details of her background, but I knew the T-Virus was responsible. It only refreshed the pain I'd felt all those years at letting Sherry down. "And if you leave, you won't come back either!"

"It's ok. I _will_ come back. I promise." I fully intended to keep this promise, even if I couldn't keep my promise to Sherry. After grabbing the only weapon I could find in the small lounge, a red and white umbrella, of all things, I headed out the door, doing my best to keep on a brave face for Rani. Everything was deadly silent, even after I called out. Things weren't looking very good. Had the survivors I'd heard died? I ran down a hall and turned around the corner. It was clear, until I turned around. The glare of a flashlight nearly blinded me, but then I heard those words that brought me back seven years.

"Get down!" I ducked, and the gunshots reverberated around me, bullets going right into the zombies I hadn't realized were coming up behind me. At the sound of the bodies falling, I looked up to see my savior, not really registering who it was until he held out his hand to help me up.

"Leon! What are you doing here?" He helped me up, holding my hand for a second longer than he had to.

"I could ask you the same thing." He looked so different, even sounded different, from the last time we'd spoken. He was accompanied by two SRT officers. Curiosity was clear in the woman's eyes as she realized we knew each other. I led them back to the room with the others, where Rani greeted me with a hug, running towards me. After planning our escape, we followed Leon and the SRT to the lobby. We ran across, climbing onto the destroyed plane. Zombies busted through from inside the plane. In his panic, the bastard of a senator knocked Rani over and back into the throng of zombies. I jumped down after her. We were screwed.

Suddenly, Leon called my name, and threw a handgun my way. With a kick to the neck of the closest zombie, I caught the gun and spun it on my hand, shooting down the surrounding zombies with Rani clutching to me tightly. It brought back horrible memories of my time in Raccoon City. Sherry…

"Are you ok?" Despite the changes I'd seen in Leon since the last time we met, his concern was always the same. I thought I had managed to stomp out my childish crush on him years ago.

"Barely." I handed him back his gun, picking up Rani and trying to ignore the resurfacing feelings.

We made it out of the airport, and the ordeal that followed was a reminder of the horrors of Umbrella and Raccoon City. Despite the fall of the wretched company, others were still following its legacy. Leon and I went our separate ways, as seemed to be the usual routine for us. I only saw him two more times after that. He found me after the explosion at WilPharma, worry clear in his eyes at the sight of my wound. I brushed off my injury, though, explaining what had happened.

Hours later, after the ordeal was over, we said our farewells, going our separate ways again. I tried to ignore the spark of jealousy at his and Angela's exchange, taking a bit of solace in the fact that I was too busy to entertain any kind of relationship with him outside of friendship anyway.

"Next time we bump into each other, let's hope its someplace a little more normal."

"Definitely." Chances were we'd never bump into each other again. Although we worked in similar areas, mine dealt with the aftermath of outbreaks, while he was in the thick of it, most of the time. In the seven years we'd gone without seeing each other, we kept in touch through emails, as he kept me updated on whether or not he found out anything about Sherry. He told me of the Las Plagas, the assignment when he found out Ada was still alive and working for Wesker, telling me to pass the information on to Chris. When I did, Chris and Jill immediately dove in headfirst to hunt him down.

Where did that leave me? Cleaning up after bioterrorism attacks as a member of TerraSave. After my second brush with the T-Virus, however, I took a more active role. With another outbreak in our history, the North American branch of the BSAA extended its arm to TerraSave, with full support from the government, in an attempt to join forces instead of working separately. After Chris' assignment in Kijuju, I was part of the team sent in as clean-up. With me was Rebecca Chambers, former STARS member turned BSAA operative, like Chris.

"Claire?" We were on the plane ride from Africa to New York. Our clean up team had spent months in the areas affected by the Las Plagas that Wesker had manipulated. I couldn't believe he'd actually taken the Las Plagas from Leon's mission four years prior and made them worse, with Tricell's help, no less. In the time it took us to finish the aftermath clean-up process, Tricell was put under severe investigation. All players involved in the Uroboros project were dealt with accordingly, and everything was cleared up, Excella Gionne being the main person to blame. With her out of the picture, Tricell was no longer a threat, and was even allowed to continue on in the Pharmaceutical Consortium, funding the BSAA.

"Yeah?" I looked over at my friend, whose worried eyes scanned mine. She always seemed to be concerned about something. Ever since I first met her, back when Chris and I had returned from Antarctica, the first thing she'd done was examine us for wounds, worry for my brother and me clear in her face, though she barely knew me.

"Are you alright?" Her curious tone let me know she'd read the haunted memories in my eyes. I was like this after every clean-up. Although the Las Plagas was nothing like the T-Virus or G-Virus, the aftermath was still the same, and brought back the same memories I would rather lock away.

"I'm fine. Reminiscing, is all." I smirked, trying to lighten the suddenly serious mood. It didn't help much, as Rebecca simply gave me a faint smile. When we'd first met, I knew very little about her, and she wasn't eager to divulge. Recently, however, after we became partners, she finally revealed to me in detail what she had gone through before the mansion incident. Suddenly, the intercom on the plane came on.

"Attention all passengers, the plane will be touching down shortly. Please ensure you are all seated and your chairs are in their upright position." Sometime later, we walked through the gate with the rest of the passengers. My eyes scanned the crowd for Chris, his bulk difficult to miss.

"Claire! Rebecca!" Simultaneously, we turned our heads to the source of the voice. I smiled at my older brother as he made his way through the crowd towards us. "About time! I was starting to think the plane crashed or something." The joke was clear, but it was a very real fear he spoke of.

"Well, we made it back in one piece, so you can stop worrying." That was the last we mentioned of the trip. We did our best not to speak of work too much. Every virus and plague that stemmed from Umbrella controlled our lives, so what little refuge we could take from our jobs was a blessing. When we finally exited the airport, I could see Chris' jeep waiting for us. The drive to his apartment was short, the three of us silent. Something didn't feel right. Usually, Chris was all laughs at this point.

"You ok, Chris?" Rebecca voiced our worries first. I watched as his fists clenched on the steering wheel. His jaw was set. I knew this expression well. He didn't want to tell us what was bothering him, so I took a guess.

"Another assignment?" He shot a glance my way.

"Yeah…"

"Where to?" Even among other BSAA members, we weren't allowed to discuss our assignments. Chris told us anyway, though he didn't go into details.

"Siberia." Rebecca and I both winced. Damn, go from Africa to Siberia? What the hell could possibly be happening there that would merit the BSAA's attention? "They want us to investigate the Koryak Mountains. Apparently, the satellites have picked up some strange feed worth looking into. We leave tomorrow morning." His explanation wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped it would be, but I knew he wasn't going to give us any more information.

We were at his apartment building by now. He parked the car and led us out and into the building.

"So, Redfield, you promised us dinner. We haven't had a decent meal in months. I'm craving a burger." Rebecca immediately distracted us from Chris' upcoming mission and instead directed our attention to our growling stomachs. By now, he'd led us into the apartment, where the lights were on. A woman emerged from the kitchen. At the sight of her, my face split into a wide smile, and I was sure Rebecca reacted the same way. We both rushed to Jill, hugging her tightly.

"Long time no see."

"We didn't think the BSAA would let you out so soon! How are you?" After their return from Africa, Jill was taken by the BSAA for examination purposes. Since her body had a natural immunity to the T-Virus, she was critical when it came to further research. Although a vaccine for the virus was already developed by WilPharma a few years back, any further research was always valuable.

"Yeah, I thought they'd never stop sticking needles in me." I noticed there was a bag by the couch, but I didn't recognize it as one of Chris'.

"What's with the bag?" I turned to my brother for an explanation.

"Jill is coming with me on the assignment." I looked in surprise at the BSAA agent in question. She'd only just gotten back from her last ordeal… I couldn't ask anything else, though, as Chris's response had a tone of finality to it. All the years I lived with Chris taught me not to pester him with questions. I'd get my way eventually.

The matter was dropped and Chris went out with Jill to get food. As soon as they left, however, I picked up the subject again.

"I wonder what's in Siberia…"

"Claire…" Rebecca looked at me pleadingly, but spoke with a stern voice. "Don't even think about following them."

"Of course I won't follow them! I just have a bad feeling about it, that's all." I leaned back on the couch, arms crossed in front of me.

"You don't think your brother and Jill can handle it?"

"It's not that…I don't even know what to think. It's like the ride to Raccoon all over again. The entire way there, I knew something was off. It's that same gut feeling now." An uneasy silence fell over us, worry weighing it down. I could see the flash of understanding in my friend's eyes.

"Well," her voice broke the heavy silence, hanging in the air, "we can't really do much about it. Wesker's dead, so it can't have anything to do with him, can it?"

"You thought he was dead once before."

"Not even Wesker can survive being shot in the face with a rocket and falling into a pit of lava." Rebecca's voice was forcefully sure, apparently trying to set her own mind at ease. Another silence overtook the room, but this time it wasn't interrupted by our voices, but by my phone going off. Both of us jumped, immediately laughing nervously afterwards at our silliness.

I pulled the phone out, thinking it was probably Aunt Chawla checking up on me after my return. She'd said she would call. When I looked at the caller ID, however, my heart jumped at the name. Leon. He hardly made social calls anymore. I tried to reassure myself that he was checking up on me after my assignment.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Claire." His voice didn't reveal anything, but then again, he was trained to be that way. A static silence floated between us, as the shock of hearing his voice at all dissipated.

"How are you, Leon?" I tried to sound excited, but the wrenching feeling in my gut wouldn't go away. He completely ignored my question, though.

"We need to talk, Claire. It's important. Can you meet me?" This time, his voice betrayed an urgency I'd never heard before. I wanted to agree, but I couldn't just leave without telling Chris.

"When?" I tried to turn away from Rebecca without being blatant about it. She heard my greeting towards him, so she knew who I was talking to.

"ASAP. Preferably now. You're at Chris's, right?"

"Yeah, but-" On his side of the conversation, I could tell he was moving quickly, the faint jingling of keys a sign that he was leaving his apartment.

"I'll come get you. Don't tell him." With a faint _beep_, the conversation was over. I knew Leon would be at the door in less than fifteen minutes. That didn't give me enough time to come up with a plausible excuse to leave. Once the shock of the sudden call had gone, though, my mind began turning. Why couldn't I tell Chris?

"What was that about?" Rebecca's look was curious, her intelligent eyes scanning mine. I could practically hear the cogs in her head turning as well.

"I…I don't know. I have to go. He said it was urgent." I was standing when Chris and Jill came through the door again. I grabbed my jacket, the only thing I'd brought with me from the airport, which carried my keys, wallet, and phone. All of my other belongings had been taken straight to my apartment, courtesy of the BSAA.

"Going somewhere?" His voice was laced with disappointment. Guilt tore at my insides. Sure, I spent more time with my brother than I did with the government agent, but he would be leaving in the morning. Who knew when I'd get to see him again?

"Yeah…" I couldn't do anything to hide my guilt from him, so I pulled a lie out of my ass, instead. "There's some paperwork I needed to give Aunt Chawla as soon as I landed. I completely forgot. She just called me, asking for them." I shrugged my jacket back on, shooting Rebecca a look to silence her. She could keep a secret. When I came to my brother on my way to the door, I placed a hand on his shoulder. "What time do you leave tomorrow?"

"Six."

"I'll come by before you go." With a kiss on the cheek, I left. I didn't give him a chance to respond.

Chilly October air greeted me when I emerged outside the building. Parked on the sidewalk was Leon's government-issued car, in all its shining black glory. I hugged my thin jacket closer, rubbing my arms as I walked towards the door. I had hardly closed it when Leon sped off. What was going on?

"Leon. What's going on? Why couldn't I tell Chris?" He gripped the steering wheel tightly, every muscle in his body stiff as could be. He was worried. He wouldn't answer me, focusing solely on the sharp turns and whatever our destination was. "Kennedy. Answer me, dammit!"

"It's about your brother's mission tomorrow." At that, my eyes widened. What did he know about it? He wasn't with the BSAA.

"What about it?" By now, he'd stopped the car. I followed him out and into a small café. I recognized it as one that I'd frequented often. Quiet, secluded, it was perfect for a private conversation.

"Did he tell you anything?" We sat at a small table for two towards the back of the small establishment.

"He told me he and Jill are going to Siberia, but didn't say much else." We ordered our drinks. After the waitress took our orders and left, I waited patiently for Leon to elaborate on my missing information.

"I'm going with them. Technically, this assignment is more of a favor to the government. Seeing as my missions usually end up involving B.O.W.s, the president requested the BSAA's assistance on this one, asked for Raccoon survivors especially. They don't want another close call like Spain." Interesting.

"And why is this being kept a secret? Why can't I tell Chris I met with you?"

"The government didn't just ask for any Raccoon survivors, Claire. They requested you. Chris pulled strings at the BSAA so he and Jill would go in your place, instead." I couldn't help the way my eyes widened.

"But I'm not an independent field operative. Why would they want me?"

"Because of our objective."

"Which is?"

"Search and rescue." Last time I'd checked, Leon's only search and rescue mission had been to retrieve Ashley Graham. He no longer worked as a personal guard to the president's family, though. This had to be bigger than just the kidnapping of a beloved daughter if the government was requesting this kind of assistance. Stranger yet was that they had originally wanted me instead of my more experienced, older brother.

"Who was taken?" By now, the waitress had brought us our orders, and Leon took a gulp of his coffee. I held my mug in both hands, staring at the beige liquid. Why was my stomach still sinking?

"Sherry Birkin." My heart sank into my stomach and my head shot up. Leon watched me closely, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

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**Please Review! I'd love to know what you thought of it :) The more reviews, the more likely I am to continue writing. I've already started the next chapter, but reviews are my oxygen! I will finish this story, even if it takes me a while, but I can't guarantee that my updates will be regular. With NaNoWriMo coming up, this is my way to keep myself from cheating and getting ahead on the project that I have planned for that, so I'll aim for once a week...maybe.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Sorry for how long it took me to get this out. This story is a little more difficult than I thought it was going to be. In doing my research to refresh my mind (it's been a while since I played the games) I discovered that they (Capcom), do actually tell us what happens with Claire and Sherry. Apparently, according to a file in R6 (the one game I couldn't bring myself to play through completely just yet), after Claire comes back from Antarctica, the government allows her to visit Sherry for emotional support. However, I am unhappy with the barely passing mention, as I think they deserve a better story. **

**With that said, I hope this is that story. Right now, though, the creative juices are running relatively dry. I'm doing the best I can, but real-life demands some of my attention, as well, unfortunately. **

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil...if I did, the movies never would have happened (the way they did) and the games would have maintained their "survivor horror" status...**_

**Enjoy!**

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It was all I could do not to shout. Instead, I spoke in a hushed whisper.

"What?! How…_why_?" It made sense now, that they would request Leon and me to go. She had been our charge in Raccoon, had only survived because we took care of her. At some level, I still felt as if she were our responsibility, even though she was 22 years old now.

"She was under 24-hour surveillance, every day. The government wanted to keep her from getting into the wrong hands. She has the G-virus anti-bodies needed to control it. Just like Wesker kept Jill, Sherry's kidnappers likely intend to harness G using her immunity."

"Then how the hell was she kidnapped?! If they watched her so closely, they should have been able to stop this."

"She didn't have actual guards. They implanted her with a tracking device when she turned 18. She led a relatively normal life once she was of age."

"Then why weren't we allowed to see her?" I looked down at my cup. _Why hadn't she tried to contact us?_

"For her safety, apparently. The only reason we know she was taken was because she activated the tracker to alert the government, and guards are sent to her home once a month to check up on her, and she wasn't there." What was I supposed to do with this information? Immediately, Rebecca's words came to me. _Don't even think about following them…_

"Chris had no right to keep this from me, to keep me from going."

"Claire…"

"How did you think I'd react?" I couldn't sit still anymore. Rummaging money out of my wallet, I placed it on the table, rushing out of the café. Leon caught up to me before I reached the end of the block.

"Claire, please listen to me. Claire!" He grabbed me by the wrist, and I'd never heard him shout that loud. There were tears in my eyes, tears of worry, for Sherry, my brother, Jill, _Leon_… "I told you because you have a right to know, but I can't let you put yourself in danger."

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" I looked down at his hand on my wrist, then back at him. "Let go, Leon. If you're not willing to take me, I'll find a way there on my own." Why I thought threatening him with my safety would work, I don't know. "Keep it a secret from my brother if you have to. But _I'm going_."

The ride back to Chris' apartment was silent. From the street, it looked as if they were all still awake, most of the lights in the apartment still on. I hesitated before leaving Leon's car, the pit in my stomach sinking deeper still. How was I going to get to Siberia without alerting my brother? Leon obviously wasn't going to take me. I looked down at my hands, nervously fiddling with the hem of my jacket.

"Claire, we can handle this. You really don't have to go." His grip was tight on the steering wheel, and he seemed to be refusing to look at me, instead staring straight ahead.

"Then why did you tell me?" I sighed. A headache was starting to form, but I ignored it. He still wouldn't look at me. We sat in silence for another beat, and I didn't think he would answer any differently than he did at the café. "Are you taking the same plane there as Chris and Jill?"

"No. I'm supposed to meet them there. They don't know I'm around. I'm supposed to be in DC, prepping for the mission." He gave me a sideways glance.

I raised an eyebrow at him. Shirking orders? "When are you going back?"

"I'm not." Again, a glance. I knew what he was expecting me to say next, but I remained silent. Making sure I had all my things, I started to climb out of the car.

"See you there, then." I'd figure out my own way to get to Siberia, even if I had to pull strings with my brother's air force buddies. As I made my way towards my brother's building, Leon had parked relatively far for safety's sake, I didn't expect to hear the slam of the other car door, and his boots as he jogged to catch up with me. I didn't stop, simply continuing to walk as if I hadn't heard a thing. Soon enough, his hand had me by my elbow.

"Claire…" He said my name like a frustrated sigh. When I turned to look at him, his other hand was pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked down at our feet. He looked as if he were about to do something he'd regret. Something inside me jumped with an old edge of adrenaline.

"Yes?" I pulled my arm from him, crossing them across my chest as I waited for him to continue. I wasn't usually this difficult, not really. When it came to Sherry, though, something inside me always snapped.

"Just…come with me. I'd much rather you tag along with me than try to get there on your own." His words softened my expression. His eyes reflected how difficult it was for him to agree on letting me go with him.

"Thank you." I took one of his hands in both of mine, squeezing gently. "Everything will be okay. After all, this is what the mission called for in the first place. Us – not Chris or Jill." I wasn't very convincing, as his expression didn't change. After another pause that bordered on awkwardness, I let go of his hand. "See you in the morning, then."

I turned and walked away from him. His footsteps soon started in the opposite direction, and by the time I'd reached the front steps to the apartment building, he was long gone, the car's engine faint. As I made my way back up to Chris' apartment, the adrenaline that had built up over the hour or so I spent with Leon was beginning to fade, replaced instead by the dread of what we would be facing in Siberia. If my brother's and Leon's missions were anything to go by, I'd soon be reliving my worst nightmares, and then some. By the time I reached Chris' door, my hands were shaking, the old terror making its way up my spine again.

"Claire, are you okay?" Jill was the one that opened the door, and I did my best to brush off the panic, the anxiety.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. Realized I didn't actually eat anything before leaving here. Tell me there's leftovers?" I directed my question at Chris, avoiding Rebecca's eyes like the plaque. He smiled at seeing me, and I was glad he'd never been the observant type. Jill followed him into the kitchen as he went to grab some food for me, leaving me no choice but to look at Rebecca.

"What happened?" She barely whispered, mouthing the words.

"Later," I mouthed back.

Hours later, Rebecca sat in the living room of our shared apartment as I rushed around my room, re-packing. Chris had dropped us off some time ago, before going back to his and Jill's apartment to finish preparations for the mission. I was pretty sure he wasn't going to sleep, as I couldn't bring myself to sleep either. Rebecca stayed up with me, knowing that Leon would come to collect me soon.

"Are you sure you want to do this? The others are perfectly capable…" Her voice floated into my room as I zipped my bag. Slinging it over my shoulder, I made my way to join her in the living room.

"I told you. Feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something isn't right, at all, and I was right to think so. Besides, do you think, knowing what I do now, that I could just sit around and wait to hear from them?" I dropped the bag at the end of the couch before walking to the kitchenette. I needed caffeine.

She stayed curled to the couch, nursing the cup of tea in her hands. She was only a year younger than I was, but right now I felt decades older. In a way, she reminded me of Sherry. "Just…promise you'll be careful?" I didn't get a chance to respond, my phone interrupting our conversation. It was a text from Leon, telling me he was waiting downstairs. I exchanged a look with Rebecca, and could see she still wanted to convince me not to go. Shrugging and sighing, she motioned for me to go. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks." I grabbed an energy drink from the fridge before taking my bag and heading out the door.

Leon was silent when I climbed into the car, probably still against my decision to go with him. I didn't break the silence, opting instead to simply look out the window, watching as the city went by and faded into the early morning. Eventually, the car slowed to a stop at the gates to a hangar. Leon rolled down his window, flashing his government ID before the guard spoke into a walkie-talkie. A moment later, the gate slid open and the man waved us through.

"I'm not sure that the people here were told I'm travelling alone, so just let me do the talking." Once he parked the car, he reached over to the glove compartment and opened it, revealing a handgun. "Take it. I'm not sure exactly what we'll find in Siberia, so you're better off being able to protect yourself."

"Leon-"

"You were the one who wanted to come. Take it or you're not going." He knew how I felt about guns. "There's a holster and belt for it under your seat."

Reluctantly, I took the gun and the holster, adjusting it to my waist when I got out of the car. We left the lot and made our way to the hangar. A jet was making its way out, doing what I assumed was a pre-flight check of some kind. A man in uniform came to greet us, saluting Leon. "Agent Kennedy."

"Is everything ready?" He motioned to the jet. The man shot me a glance, confusion flitting across his expression.

"Yes, but I was unaware that Ms. Redfield was going on the mission as well. We were told her brother had taken her place." He looked at me, expecting me to speak, I suppose.

"Change of plans." I smiled at him, hoping my fake confidence and assurance would be enough to get us through. Still, he didn't budge. Before panic could set it, Leon reacted.

"If you need confirmation, here." He handed his phone to the soldier, and I could hear it was already dialing a number. After a few moments, the soldier asked whoever was on the other end if I was authorized to board. I didn't know who he was talking to, but whoever it was apparently lied and said I was. He got off the phone and handed it back to Leon, nodding his agreement. Once the soldier was gone and we were free to board, I turned to Leon.

"What was that?" I whispered, afraid the pilot would hear us. The plane looked more like a cargo aircraft than something that would carry passengers. Inside, it was all metal and cables. There was some kind of case strapped down near one of the seats, which I assumed contained some supplies for us. Leon strapped in first, and I followed.

"Hunnigan owed me a favor." He leaned back in his seat, as much as he could anyway, crossing his arms in front of himself. "Get some sleep. You're going to need it." Leon closed his eyes after that, as the plane started to lift off. I copied his movements, though I wasn't sure that I'd actually be able to sleep.

What felt like hours later, I opened my eyes. We were still in the air, so it couldn't have been that much time. Leon wasn't in his seat anymore, but the plane was shaking with turbulence. He wasn't anywhere that I could see, either. Worry started to set in again, and I tried to convince myself that it was irrational panic. Taking a deep breath, I unstrapped myself from the seat, standing and grabbing hold of whatever I could to keep myself from falling over. "Leon? Is everything alright?" A habit I'd developed in Raccoon City, I let my hand go to my waist, feeling the gun there for reassurance.

When he didn't respond, I did my best to tell myself that it was the wind that drowned out my voice. Instead of simply resting my hand on the gun, I removed it from the holster, gripping it tight and ready to shoot if I had to. My hand was shaking as it took hold of the latch to the pilot's area. With a deep breath, I opened the door, wavering to the side a bit with my own momentum. On the other side, the pilot was focused on the sky in front of us, Leon sitting in the copilot chair.

"Claire?"

"Jesus, Leon! Let me know next time you decide to disappear."

He looked between me and the gun in my hand, concern clear in his eyes. I was still shaking when he excused himself from the cockpit and joined me outside the door. "Are you sure you're alright to do this?"

I took a deep breath, stilling the tremor in my hand. "Yes. I'm fine. It's not like we can turn around now anyway."

Leon's hand took hold of the gun in mine, putting it back in the holster. "I need to know that you're not going to lose it out there, Claire. When was the last time you used a gun?"

"Harvardville." The word came out as a sigh. I didn't want to look him in the eyes when I said this, almost embarrassed. It had been a very long time since I'd even thought about shooting at a zombie. I didn't think I'd ever have to again, but now all I could imagine was a remake of Raccoon City waiting for us in Siberia. Remembering Leon and Chris' previous missions, we could definitely expect to find virus victims wherever Sherry was being held.

Leon tried hard to cover his surprise, or shock. After a breath, he spoke again, "Whatever we find down there, you'll be okay. We all will. We're going in prepared, something no one can say about Raccoon City." He knew that's what I was thinking about; I guess he could see it in my eyes.

"I know." Again, my hand wandered to the gun. I didn't like guns, I really didn't. But, in that moment, I reverted to the 19-year-old that faced horrors out of her nightmares, practically alone, with nothing but a cop's gun to get her through it.

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**Hope you guys liked it! This chapter was a little dry, and short, I know, but necessary. I promise to amp up the action soon! Zombies will be blown apart...at some point. Promise!**

**Also, I added a cover for this story. Not my greatest work, as I'm not really a visual artist, but it gets the job done, I guess.**

**Please Review!**


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